lighten shadows in part of an image

Jimmy writes …

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

If you have CS you can use Shadow/Highlight, maybe with a selection ahead of time.

If you don’t have CS or just want to do it a more generic way try these steps … add an adjustment layer of type Curves or Levels and make the adjustment until you see the shadowed part looks "right" … the rest will be overexposed so choose the Gradient tool, set it to ‘black to white’ and draw a line on the adjustment layer layer mask to block off the effect of the Curve/Levels adjustment from the properly exposed part of the image. In other words, use the Gradient to mask off the change to all but a limited area. If you get it wrong just redraw the line, you can redraw the gradient as often as you need … a short line means an abrupt transition on the mask, a longer line a more gradual transition.

Try it, it’s not as complicated as it may sound from the above description and it’s a handy thing to know.

Bill

"Jimmy" posted:

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

Another way to do it:
Select the shadow with Select > Color Range
Feather (Select Feather) about 2 px
Ctrl-J to make a new Layer by Copy
Change the mode of the new layer to Screen (in the layer palette) Adjust by reducing the 100% to a lower number, or use Curves. Flatten the image.

The new method in CS2 works better, though, in my limited experience with it.

– Max

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Jimmy wrote:

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

Thanks

If the shadow is well defined, you can select it, (magic wand, one of the lassos etc.) and then go to IMAGE > ADJUST > LEVELS and lighten it as you so desire.
Bob Williams

Bob’s method will work but there is a preferred method:
Set the Foreground/Background colors to their default black/white (D-key)

Create a new layer above your active layer.
Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color and choose Gray in the Color drop-down menu. OK.
Your entire image will turn gray.
Change the layer’s mode to Overlay or Soft Light. Your image will reappear.
Paint on your image with a soft black brush to darken the area. Paint with a white brush to lighten the area.

The advantage in using a layer is that you have immediate and future control over the effect.
While painting, vary the strength of the effect by varying the opacity of the brush. (Start with about 10-20%)
So now you control exactly where and how much you lighten or darken the image.
If you paint too much, change the Foreground Color (X-key) and paint to restore the area.

You can now get back to further edit your effect anytime before flattening the image, even after saving it in .psd format.
You cannot do that with the Image>New Adjustment selection.

(This is a great way to get a flash-fill effect in your image.)

In general, I *always* use a layer if it offers the same function as the Image>Adjust menu.

Good Luck! . . . . patrick

"Bob Williams" wrote in message

Jimmy wrote:

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack
thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

Thanks

If the shadow is well defined, you can select it, (magic wand, one of the lassos etc.) and then go to IMAGE > ADJUST > LEVELS and lighten it as you so desire.
Bob Williams

Jimmy: I don’t know why Layer>New Fill Layer acts differently but it does. Get to your new fill layer as follows:
Alt-click on the new layer icon (second from the right) in the layer’s palette.
In the dialog window, select Color: Gray, Mode: Overlay. OK
Continue as below, except for the *-lines.
….. patrick

"patrick" wrote in message news:…

Bob’s method will work but there is a preferred method:

Set the Foreground/Background colors to their default black/white (D-key)

*> Create a new layer above your active layer. (NO. See above) *> Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color and choose Gray in the Color drop-down
*> menu. OK.
*> Your entire image will turn gray.
*> Change the layer’s mode to Overlay or Soft Light. Your image will *> reappear.

Paint on your image with a soft black brush to darken the area. Paint with a white brush to lighten the area.

The advantage in using a layer is that you have immediate and future control over the effect.
While painting, vary the strength of the effect by varying the opacity of the brush. (Start with about 10-20%)
So now you control exactly where and how much you lighten or darken the image.
If you paint too much, change the Foreground Color (X-key) and paint to restore the area.

You can now get back to further edit your effect anytime before flattening the image, even after saving it in .psd format.
You cannot do that with the Image>New Adjustment selection.
(This is a great way to get a flash-fill effect in your image.)
In general, I *always* use a layer if it offers the same function as the Image>Adjust menu.

Good Luck! . . . . patrick

"Bob Williams" wrote in message

Jimmy wrote:

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack
thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

Thanks

If the shadow is well defined, you can select it, (magic wand, one of the lassos etc.) and then go to IMAGE > ADJUST > LEVELS and lighten it as you so desire.
Bob Williams

Jimmy: I don’t know why Layer>New Fill Layer dialog window acts differently but it does.
Get to your new fill layer as follows:
Alt-click on the new layer icon (second from the right) in the layer’s palette.
In the dialog window, select Color: Gray, Mode: Overlay. OK
Continue as below, except for the *-lines.
….. patrick

"patrick" wrote in message

Bob’s method will work but there is a preferred method:
Set the Foreground/Background colors to their default black/white (D-key)

*> Create a new layer above your active layer.
*> Layer>New Fill Layer>Solid Color and choose Gray in the Color drop-down
*> menu. OK.
*> Your entire image will turn gray.
*> Change the layer’s mode to Overlay or Soft Light. Your image will *> reappear.

Paint on your image with a soft black brush to darken the area. Paint with a white brush to lighten the area.

The advantage in using a layer is that you have immediate and future control over the effect.
While painting, vary the strength of the effect by varying the opacity of the brush. (Start with about 10-20%)
So now you control exactly where and how much you lighten or darken the image.
If you paint too much, change the Foreground Color (X-key) and paint to restore the area.

You can now get back to further edit your effect anytime before flattening the image, even after saving it in .psd format.
You cannot do that with the Image>New Adjustment selection.
(This is a great way to get a flash-fill effect in your image.)
In general, I *always* use a layer if it offers the same function as the Image>Adjust menu.

Good Luck! . . . . patrick

"Bob Williams" wrote in message

Jimmy wrote:

I have an image that has some significant shadowing from sunlight (or lack
thereof) in one corner of the image. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to lighten just a section of an image?

Thanks

If the shadow is well defined, you can select it, (magic wand, one of the lassos etc.) and then go to IMAGE > ADJUST > LEVELS and lighten it as you so desire.
Bob Williams

Hello, patrick!
You wrote on Wed, 08 Jun 2005 16:02:07 GMT:

I tried this method but when I get to painting the image with a black brush nothing happens. I’m using Elements 1; might that be the problem?

Thanks,

Colonel Blip.
E-mail:

p> Bob’s method will work but there is a preferred method: p> Set the Foreground/Background colors to their default black/white p> (D-key)

p> Create a new layer above your active layer.
Layer>> New Fill Layer>Solid Color and choose Gray in the Color drop-down p> menu. OK.
p> Your entire image will turn gray.
p> Change the layer’s mode to Overlay or Soft Light. Your image will p> reappear.
p> Paint on your image with a soft black brush to darken the area. p> Paint with a white brush to lighten the area.

p> The advantage in using a layer is that you have immediate and future p> control over the effect.
p> While painting, vary the strength of the effect by varying the opacity p> of the brush. (Start with about 10-20%)
p> So now you control exactly where and how much you lighten or darken the p> image.
p> If you paint too much, change the Foreground Color (X-key) and paint to p> restore the area.

p> You can now get back to further edit your effect anytime before p> flattening the image, even after saving it in .psd format. p> You cannot do that with the Image>New Adjustment selection.

p> (This is a great way to get a flash-fill effect in your image.)

p> In general, I *always* use a layer if it offers the same function as the

p> Good Luck! . . . . patrick

p> "Bob Williams" wrote in message
p> ??>>

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I installed Elements 3 and managed to get the desired results with just a bit of an adjustment to the procedure.
I’m sure the method will work in Elements 2 also.

With your image loaded, click on the New Layer icon in the layer’s palette. That is the first icon on the left at the top of the layers palette in Elements 3.
The icon is a square with a smaller square contained in its lower left corner.
You’ll get a blank layer above the background layer.
Edit>Filll>50% Gray
Your screen will turn gray. Not to panic!
Change the blend mode of the new layer to Overlay or Soft Light. Now paint with either black or white as described below.

If you think you may to edit your image further at a later daye, be sure to save it in .psd format so Elements will save the layer with the image.

This really is a wonderful method and I’m sure you’ll be amazed at the control it provides over the effect while providng the ability to come back and edit the effect later.
(Just make the gray layer active and paint black or white again. If you got it too light the first time, paint the same area with black. Vary the opacity of the soft brush.

If I failed to step you through it to succes, please do contact me again. It’s worth the effort.
Good luck! . . . . patrick

"Colonel Blip" wrote in message

Hello, patrick!
You wrote on Wed, 08 Jun 2005 16:02:07 GMT:

I tried this method but when I get to painting the image with a black brush nothing happens. I’m using Elements 1; might that be the problem?
Thanks,

Colonel Blip.
E-mail:

p> Bob’s method will work but there is a preferred method: p> Set the Foreground/Background colors to their default black/white p> (D-key)

p> Create a new layer above your active layer.
Layer>> New Fill Layer>Solid Color and choose Gray in the Color drop-down p> menu. OK.
p> Your entire image will turn gray.
p> Change the layer’s mode to Overlay or Soft Light. Your image will p> reappear.
p> Paint on your image with a soft black brush to darken the area. p> Paint with a white brush to lighten the area.

p> The advantage in using a layer is that you have immediate and future p> control over the effect.
p> While painting, vary the strength of the effect by varying the opacity p> of the brush. (Start with about 10-20%)
p> So now you control exactly where and how much you lighten or darken the p> image.
p> If you paint too much, change the Foreground Color (X-key) and paint to p> restore the area.

p> You can now get back to further edit your effect anytime before p> flattening the image, even after saving it in .psd format. p> You cannot do that with the Image>New Adjustment selection.
p> (This is a great way to get a flash-fill effect in your image.)
p> In general, I *always* use a layer if it offers the same function as the

p> Good Luck! . . . . patrick

p> "Bob Williams" wrote in message
p> ??>>

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Hello, patrick!
You wrote on Thu, 09 Jun 2005 19:04:59 GMT:

Thanks, that worked great. Makes filling shadows much easier than going thru masking.

Colonel Blip.
E-mail:

p> I installed Elements 3 and managed to get the desired results with just p> a bit of an adjustment to the procedure.
p> I’m sure the method will work in Elements 2 also.

p> With your image loaded, click on the New Layer icon in the layer’s p> palette. That is the first icon on the left at the top of the layers p> palette in Elements 3.
p> The icon is a square with a smaller square contained in its lower left p> corner.
p> You’ll get a blank layer above the background layer. Edit>> Filll>50% Gray
p> Your screen will turn gray. Not to panic!
p> Change the blend mode of the new layer to Overlay or Soft Light. p> Now paint with either black or white as described below.

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